THE Cornish Seal Sanctuary has seen a very early start to its rescue season, with the arrival of its first seal pup admitted to the Seal hospital.

The pup named ‘Maggot’, in line with the Sanctuary’s ‘Bugs & Mini Beasts’ theme for the new season, was rescued by British Divers Marine Life Rescue from Porthtowan beach on a busy summer’s day.

Curator at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary Tamara Cooper said: “Maggot was brought to the Sanctuary and assessed by our expert vets at Head & Head. She was found to be a female grey seal pup, approximately the weight of a pup just a day or so old.

Maggot was rescued by British Divers Marine Life Rescue from Porthtowan beach on a busy summer’s dayMaggot was rescued by British Divers Marine Life Rescue from Porthtowan beach on a busy summer’s day (Image: Cornish Seal Sanctuary)

“She had a small ulcer in her left eye and still had her umbilicus attached.  For a pup so young, our concern is always an umbilical infection, so vets prescribed a short course of antibiotics and daily cleaning of Maggot’s umbilicus to ensure it stays as clean as possible.

“Maggot is being fed a blended fish soup every 4 hours to keep up the level of feeding that her mum would have provided, but even so, the team can't emulate the nutrient-rich and calorie-dense milk that ensures pups can put on around 1.5kg a day up to their weaning at around 17-21 days.

“Maggot has a long rehab in front of her, but the Sanctuary team will make every effort to give Maggot a second chance.”

What to do if you find a seal pup on the beach this summer

Both charities are now reminding locals and visitors alike that it is now the time of year when pups are beginning to be born around the Southwest. Pups and their mothers are highly vulnerable to disturbance that can cause them to separate, sadly leaving the pup to starve to death.

Coast users are urged to be alert that any beach or cave away from public beaches that they enter may have mums and pups on them at any time from now for the next couple of months.

If seen, then the national DEFRA seal watching code of conduct dictates that people should stay 100m away, minimise how visible they are and any noise, and move away slowly and quietly so that the seals do not notice human presence and change their behaviour from relaxed to stressed as a result.

If a pup is found alone on a public beach, then do not approach or handle it, and make sure to keep dogs under control on a lead.

The Cornish Seal Sanctuary and BDMLR can be contacted for advice and assistance at 01326 221361 or 01825 765546 respectively.